


Echoes in the Veil

by StackerPentecost



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - No Zombies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, M/M, Some Characters are Already Dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 09:41:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14566269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StackerPentecost/pseuds/StackerPentecost
Summary: Negan loses his life's purpose when Lucille dies. But then when he meets Rick, a man long gone though still bound to the physical realm, his destiny is set. The path he is about to go down will be the hardest he has ever faced, but will it end with him facing heaven or hellfire?





	1. Prologue

It had all happened so suddenly. One day she was bright and smiling, the next day it was like her every move was painful. It only got worse as time went on. Within days, he knew something was wrong. A trip to the doctor only proved his worst fears. The love of his life was dying and there was nothing that could be done. Lucille was going to die and he was going to be alone. Nonetheless, he stayed with her as much as was possible, holding her hand as she withered away right before his eyes. 

He was there when she took her last breath. That was the worst day of Negan’s life. 

The second worst came exactly a week later, when he watched them put her into the ground. He hated every moment of it, every pitiful smile directed his way, every bouquet that would eventually lose its beauty and die just like his Lucille. It all meant nothing, not one bit of it could make him feel any better. 

All he could think of when he went home that night was that she was going to be all alone.

* * *

 

When he woke the next morning from a less than restful sleep, he knew he couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t just leave her there, couldn’t simply move on and act like everything was okay, that he didn’t love her anymore, that he didn’t miss her. So, he pulled himself out of bed and decided that as soon as he managed to finish what was required of him at work, he would go and see her. She deserved that much. And maybe if he came everyday, she would forgive him for not treating her right when he had the chance. 

He didn’t manage to get out of work until well after dark. He felt awful, like he’d somehow let her down. But he couldn’t just go home, try again tomorrow. He’d made a promise, like so many before and couldn’t bare to break one more. 

So, as the sun set and twilight turned into darkness, Negan made his way to the cemetery. He was grateful there was no gate to be locked or fence to be scaled. It was easy enough to walk in and go straight to where they’d placed Lucille, the freshly turned earth easy to spot, not that he’d forget where she was. He’d remember this place until the day he died.

His fingertips reached out to brush over the newly planted tombstone. It was a simple, black piece of stone but he knew she wouldn’t have wanted anything too flashy. It reflected how she’d been in life. Lucille didn’t have to be flashy to get noticed.

He swallowed against the lump in his throat, unable to fight the way his knees buckled and he ended up in the dirt. Not that he cared. He felt closer to her this way, like if he laid down he might be laying next to her again instead of standing over her. 

“Hey there, sweetheart..” Negan breathed out slowly, his fingers going to play with his wedding band. “I couldn’t stay away for very fucking long, could I? You’re just fucking irresistible, ya know?” 

He closed his eyes. God, why did he always sound like such a dumbass? Couldn’t he just say how he felt?

_No. Because I had every chance to do that when she was here and I barely ever said a fucking word about how she made me feel. Instead I fucked around on her every chance I could and now she’s fucking gone and there’s no fucking way for me to ever make up for all my shitty mistakes._

Negan ran a shaky hand through his hair, like he’d done so many times today. He felt like laying down the cold ground and never getting up. What was the point if she was gone? Who was going to keep him together? He certainly wasn’t strong enough to do it himself. Lucille had always joked that he had no filter and no common sense and he had never heard truer words spoken in his whole damn life.

“I-I brought you something..” He managed to croak around the emotion clogging his throat. He reached a hand into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lighter. Most people would probably frown on him for doing this, but it was something they’d shared, a vice they’d both indulged in. He had a pack of her favorite brand and the lighter had a black cat with gleaming green eyes on it, reminding him even more of her. He carefully reached to place the pack and the lighter on the tombstone. After a moment, he picked it up back up and pulled one out for himself, using the lighter to ignite it. As he took a long drag, he let himself imagine it was just her and him, relaxing on the couch in their apartment, listening to one of the old records she liked to collect.

He watched the smoke drift from his lips and nose, disappearing into the chilly night air. It was utterly silence in the graveyard, except for the sounds of a few lone birds. 

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…_

Negan lifted his head, shivering as the sound reached his ears. Where the hell was that coming from? He peered around, searching for the source. 

_You make me happy, when skies are gray…_

The song was chilling, the voice reciting the words absolutely hollow but at the same time incredibly mournful and filled with obvious grief. Still, Negan couldn’t tell where the words were resonating from. 

_You’ll never know dear, how much I love you…_

Negan turned his head, glancing down the row of graves. He swore he’d seen something. He blinked and just like that, he came into view. 

_Please don’t take my sunshine away…_

Negan carefully put the cigarette out on a patch of dirt away from Lucille’s grave. Could he really be not the only in here? He pushed himself to his feet, curiously taking a step forward toward the man. He shivered as the other continued to sing in that haunting voice. 

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…_

Negan took another step, feeling himself drawn in. Pretty soon he was walking through the rows, trying not to be impolite and step on anyone’s grave. When he finally reached the man, he found that he was kneeling in front of two smaller headstones. The grass had grown over both of the graves themselves, so they weren’t new but the condition of the headstones told him that they weren’t too old either, maybe several years but not much longer. The man didn’t seem to notice Negan’s presence, continuing to sing. 

_You make me happy, when skies are gray…_

Negan’s eyes took in the names on the gravestones. 

_Carl Grimes. Judith Grimes. They definitely aren’t husband and wife, and they died so young, Carl was 15 and Judith was 4. Brother and sister? So he must be.._

“These are your children, aren’t they?”

The man didn’t respond, his hand reaching to touch one grave, then the other. Still, he didn’t stop singing.

_You’ll never know dear, how much I love you…_

“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose them both and one right after the other.” Again, the man acted as though he didn’t even know Negan was there.

_Please don’t take my sunshine away…_

“I understand, I do. My wife, she..she’s gone too.” Negan had to force the words out, eyes pricking with unshed tears. He wasn’t sure what made him reach out then, what drove him to want to touch this man, to try and comfort him, but he felt compelled to do it. 

It was nothing more than a brush of fingertips on the man’s arms, but it was enough to send an extreme chill up his arm and down his spine, spreading through his veins. Negan stumbled back, hand shaking so hard, he nearly fell backward. It felt deathly cold, like no human should ever feel. Negan’s breath quickened and he looked at the other being with wide eyes. 

“What-What are you?”

The man blinked, the first sign that he was aware of Negan's presence. He sighed deeply, before looking back at the other, tilting his head to one side. 

“I don’t know. Do you?”


	2. Chapter 2

Negan didn't remember much of what happened after that. He was aware that he'd been running, because by the time he was back in his apartment, he was still panting heavily. And god was he cold, he'd never felt so cold before. Immediately he kicked off his boots and darted into the bedroom, but not before dialing up the temperature on the thermostat. He then crawled into bed, covering himself with blanket after blanket. 

As he lay there, shivering every few seconds, he tried to wrap his head around what he'd seen. He replayed the man's singing and his reaction to Negan over and over again. And then that odd response, 'I don't know. Do you?' What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Negan rubbed his hands together, trying to get the warmth back into them. Nobody was that cold and living, there was no way. Negan supposed his Lucille had been that cold after she passed. That meant one thing.

The man he'd encountered in the cemetary may have been mourning, but he was already dead. But if that was true, then how had Negan been able to touch him? Ghosts weren't corporeal, were they? None of it made sense.

As he tried to sleep that night, Negan found he couldn't get the man out of his head. He had been so...devastated. Even in death, he was still so focused on the loss of those he loved. It was an awful existence, Negan wasn't sure he could imagine one much worse. 

When he finally dozed off, Negan could still feel the whisper of cold throughout his body.  

* * *

 

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..._

Negan's eyes fluttered open and that was the first thing he became aware of, the sunshine. That and the singing. What was with people and that song lately? 

_You make me happy, when skies are gray..._

Negan blinked and sat up. Where the hell was he? He was definitely not home in bed anymore. 

_You'll never know dear, how much I love you..._

Negan turned one way and then the other, peering around. He was sitting in a meadow filled with tall grass and wildflowers. The plants swayed in a soft breeze. He was dressed in his normal attire, white t shirt under his favorite leather jacket, black pants and boots. Overhead the sun shone down, not a cloud in the clear blue sky. 

_Please don't take my sunshine away..._

That's when he caught sight of her. She was standing a few yards away, arms outstretched as she sang. Even turned away from him, he would have recognized her anywhere. Carefully he stood up, approaching her quietly. As he got closer, he couldn't help being comforted by the fact that even though it was sunny and warm, they were both dressed in black. Her dress was simple, dark and flowy, moving gently in the breeze. There were roses stitched all over it. Her hair fell down her back in long midnight waves.

"Lucille?"

When she turned toward him, her vibrant green eyes were alight and she was smiling. She was the complete opposite of the way he last remembered her. When he'd watched them close her casket to be lowered into the ground, she had looked so dull and lifeless. Now she was anything but.

"It's good to see you again," She murmured, reaching to touch his cheek. Even her skin was as it had been before she'd passed, smooth and soft and very much alive. He closed his eyes, leaning into her palm. "It is," He breathed, "I've missed you so much, sweetheart. I know it's only been a few days but it feels like it's been years."

"I know, I'm sorry, my love."

"No, please, don't..Don't say that. None of what happened is your fault, I have absolutely no doubts about that."

Lucille was quiet for a moment before leaning up to press a soft kiss to Negan's lips. "Ask the questions that plague your mind."

Negan's hazel orbs opened to gaze into the comforting green of his wife's. "Am I dead? Is that why I'm here?"

Lucille's smile turned melancholy. "No, it's not your time yet. You're here for a different reason."

"Does it have something to do with the man I saw today when I was visiting you?"

She chuckled softly. "And you always said you were the dumb one in our relationship."

"What about him? He's dead, isn't he?"

She nodded. "Yes, but he hasn't moved on. He's still tied to the physical world and can't seem to let go, to enter what comes after. You need to help him."

"Can I even do that? I mean, I'm not exactly a fucking ghostbuster." 

"No, you're not, but I am told that you are the one that is destined to help him move on."

Negan blinked. "You're told? By who?"

She pursed her lips, eyes far away. "I'm not allowed to tell you. We're not allowed to know too much about the other side before we get there."

"Oh. Well..what can you tell me?"

"His name is Rick. Rick Grimes. That's about all I can tell you. It's not my place to tell you his story. You can investigate what happened yourself or you can try to ask him, it does not matter, but you will find out what happened to bring him to this point eventually."

"And how do I get him to even acknowledge me? I spoke to him but it took a lot to get him to even look at me."

Lucille sighed. "Spirits are like that. They latch onto something and they get stuck, both literally and mentally. It's like they can't focus on anything else but what their mind has attached to. Whatever they're stuck to, it usually has something to do with their death and what's keeping them on Earth. They get so caught up in their own heads, they can't think of anything else. It keeps them from moving on." 

"So how do I manage to fucking help him?" Negan had never encountered anything like this in his life. He felt completely out of his element.

"You do whatever you can to get through to him. Talking to him about what he's grieving, his children, that might work. He might be able to connect to you if you're talking about the thing he's stuck on."

"Does the poor bastard even know he's dead? When he did speak to me, what he said made it sound like he wasn't even aware that he'd died. And how was I able to touch him? I thought ghosts didn't work like that."

Lucille sighed. "No, he doesn't fully understand what's happened to him. Some spirits don't. To them, they're living in a cycle of misery, so the fact that they no longer feel the urge to eat or sleep or any of the things that make people human, it has become irrelevant. You are going to have to help him come to terms with what became of him." She reached to take Negan's hand, unable to keep from continuing to touch her husband. "You were able to touch him because whether he consciously meant to or not, he chose to manifest enough to be able to hold a physical form. It's not easy for a spirit to do and they can't hold it for long, but it's possible. Eventually though, they'll flicker and their physical form will fade and they'll once again become as we expect them to be."

Negan lifted her hands to his lips and kissed it. He was silent then, letting everything she'd told him begin sink in. 

"Alright," He murmured, "if this is what you want me to do, then I'll do it."

His wife's smile was tinged with sadness once again. "It's not me that's telling you to do this, my love. It is your destiny. I am simply here to set you on the correct path."

He took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet, floral scent of the wildflowers on the wind. He leaned to kiss Lucille then, their touch lingering. He swallowed thickly then, feeling his chest begin to ache. "I'm not going to see you again after this, will I?"

There was that smile again, like it was becoming painful for her to make that expression. "No, not until you pass over. We will see each other again then, I promise you." 

As he studied her gaze, tears came to her eyes and she quickly reached to wipe them away. She gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and stepping back. "My time is up, I must go."

Negan grit his teeth, refusing to break down, not wanting to hurt her when he'd done plenty of that when she was alive.

"I love you," He whispered, sniffling softly. "I swear to whatever fucking entity is out there, that I love you."

Her expression changed then, her smile turning bright, into a grin. "I know, Negan, I always knew. I love you too." And just like that she began to disappear right before his eyes.

"Answer me one last question. Why me? Why is it my destiny to help Rick?"

Her laugh rang out, both joyful and burdened.

"Because he is your soulmate, my love, because he is your soulmate."

When Negan opened his eyes again, he was back in his apartment, still buried underneath a mountain of blankets.


End file.
